J Sweenizzle
Yelp
So let me keep it real: as a native New Yorker that's been working in the Bay Area for the last month, one of the handful of things I've missed (and have openly been seeking out and asking for recommendations): a traditional, old school Italian American deli with actual east coast food and ambiance.
Everyone in the Bay recommended this spot. "You gotta try the ravioli" & "The sandwiches are hella good. You will like them." Ok. Noted and finally I went to Bertucelli's,
The inside was small and narrow, just like most spots back home and the shelves had real deal Italian products that made me feel good about the place. Funny enough, I guess I am a rarity out here as several people on the line were shocked by my NY accent and either stared at me confused because they didn't understand me or they struck up convos with me (mostly to ask if I was an actual Mets fan with my hat on). Met three people originally from the tri-state area, they said the food is good for the area and they also all told me to NOT waste my time looking for any semblance of real pizza out here. LOL. Thanks for the heads up.
And after some light sports and neighborhood banter, my number was called and I ordered an Italian combo sandwich and ricotta ravioli. In a few short minutes, it was time to eat and...
Let's just say the ravioli was NOT anything near Queen Ann or Pastosa in Brooklyn. In truth, the ravioli themselves were solid BUT what ruined the meal to me, that damn red sauce that was way too sweet. Literally a sugar sauce. Reminded me of a bottle of passata with sugar blended into it and served up warm. To each their own but the sweet sauce was a hard NO from me. Now when I wiped away the sugar sauce, now we're talking! The ricotta was fresh with hints of spinach in each bite. And the pasta was clearly fresh, perfectly cooked and definitely homemade.
Ricotta ravioli with sauce = 0.
Ricotta ravioli with NO sauce = 100
Next time, one should opt for the ravioli with a light coating of EVOO instead of that sugar sauce. Or buy a frozen batch and prepare at home accordingly.
Then there was the sandwich. Oh man. Well, never in my life have I had an "Italian" anything that comes with, get this, mayonnaise and mustard.?! I'm cringing just thinking about this "Italian" sandwich. Listen, the meats were good, the huge slice of provolone was... interesting and thankfully I was made aware of there being mayo on the sandwich as per the menu so I made sure to opt out. But mustard?!? On an "Italian" anything?!?! Blasphemy! LOL and disappointing to say the least. Should be topped with evoo and balsamic. Maybe some sun dried tomatoes, some arugula and a sprinkle of pecorino romano... but, one can dream. I understand that perhaps Bertucelli's is catering to the local taste of the San Jose faithful. And I also get it that I should never expect to have a Red Hook Defonte's or Wall Street Pisillo's proper sandwich BUT since when did "Italian" anything feature mustard AND mayonnaise? Major let down. But hey, maybe it's just what the locals look forward to eating. No joke, I wrapped up the half I did not eat and handed it to the home less guy outside the classic-looking Starbucks on the corner. Hard pass. And yeah, the bread was meh, but I understand that I will never get a proper loaf of semolina out here. So that was no surprise on my end.
I'm giving this place 2.5 out of 5 stars because, well, the ambiance was great, the staff were friendly, the people on line struck up some great banter but for an Italian deli, the food was subpar. That damn sauce. Ugghhh. Perhaps me being an actual New Yorker has my taste buds inclined to expect more BUT man, I even had to round my star-tally down because although there is something there (a glimmer of hope), and even though you can opt to stay away from the sweet sauce... just the fact that both mayo and mustard are even being served in an Italian deli is PURE BLASPHEMY! Repent Bertucelli's! Repent and throw away your condiments of sin!
Oh well, on a positive note, if you want some solid raviolis, check this spot out and avoid the sauce. Otherwise, a bit of a downer that pretty much reminded me of an "Italian" deli experience I once had in the Deep South (Hello Alabama). Now excuse me as I need to check on my blood sugar levels and wash down the "Italian" mustard taste from my tongue with a drink.